Sliding device for a vehicle

Abstract

A sliding device for a vehicle comprises a lock member received and attached within a section area of one of relatively movable first and second rails for locking the relative movement between the first and second rails; and a manipulation lever provided for moving the lock member to permit the relative movement between the first and second rails. A movement permitting portion is formed on at at least one of the lock member and the rail attaching the lock member so that the relative movement between the lock member and the rail attaching the lock member in the rail axis direction is allowed with the lock member locking the relative movement. Further, a movement restraining portion is formed on the rail attaching the lock member to restrain the movement in a lock release direction of the lock member after the relative movement at the movement permitting portion.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A sliding device for a vehicle, comprising:
 a first rail; 
 a second rail supported relatively movably relative to the first rail in a rail axis direction; 
 a lock member received and attached within a section area of one of the first and second rails to extend in the rail axis direction of the one rail for locking the relative movement between the first and second rails, the lock member including a pin; 
 a manipulation lever mounted to the lock member for moving the lock member to permit the relative movement between the first and second rails; 
 a movement permitting portion formed on at least one of the lock member and the rail attaching the lock member so that the relative movement between the lock member and the rail attaching the lock member in the rail axis direction is allowed with the lock member locking the relative movement, the pin being able to pass through the movement permitting portion; and 
 a movement restraining portion formed on the rail attaching the lock member to restrain the movement in a lock release direction of the lock member after the relative movement at the movement permitting portion, 
 wherein the movement permitting portion includes a first portion with a diameter greater than an outer diameter of the pin and a second portion with a diameter less than the pin. 
 
     
     
       2. The sliding device for the vehicle in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the lock member is formed with an attaching portion attachable to one of the first and second rails and an engaging portion engageable with the other of the first and second rails; 
 one of the first and second rails is formed with an attached portion to which the attaching portion is attached, and an engaging-portion piercing opening through which the engaging portion passes; 
 the other of the first and second rails is formed with an engaged portion engageable with the engaging portion protruding from the engaging-portion piercing opening; 
 the movement permitting portion is formed at at least one of the attaching portion and the attached portion; and 
 the movement restraining portion is formed at the engaging-portion piercing opening so that when the lock member and the rail attaching the lock member move relatively, the engaging portion comes into engagement to be restrained from moving in a direction separating from the engaged portion. 
 
     
     
       3. The sliding device for the vehicle in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the lock member is formed with an attaching portion attachable to one of the first and second rails, an engaging portion engageable with the other of the first and second rails, and a mounting portion mounting the manipulation lever; 
 one of the first and second rails is formed with an attached portion to which the attaching portion is attached, and a mounting-portion piercing opening through which the mounting portion passes; 
 the other of the first and second rails is formed with an engaged portion engageable with the engaging portion; 
 the movement permitting portion is formed at least one of the attaching portion and the attached portion; and 
 the movement restraining portion is formed at the mounting-portion piercing opening so that when the lock member and the rail attaching the lock member move relatively, the mounting portion comes into engagement to restrain the engaging portion from moving in a direction separating from the engaged portion. 
 
     
     
       4. The sliding device for the vehicle in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the lock member is formed with an attaching portion attachable to one of the first and second rails and an engaging portion engageable with the other of the first and second rails; 
 one of the first and second rails is formed with an attached portion to which the attaching portion is attached, and an engaging-portion piercing opening through which the engaging portion passes; 
 the other of the first and second rails is formed with an engaged portion engageable with the engaging portion protruding from the engaging-portion piercing opening; 
 the movement permitting portion is formed between the attaching portion and the engaging portion on a body portion of the lock member; and 
 the movement restraining portion is formed at the engaging-portion piercing opening so that when the lock member and the rail attaching the lock member move relatively, the engaging portion comes into engagement to be restrained from moving in a direction separating from the engaged portion. 
 
     
     
       5. The sliding device for the vehicle in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the lock member is formed with an attaching portion attachable to one of the first and second rails, an engaging portion engageable with the other of the first and second rails, and a mounting portion mounting the manipulation lever; 
 one of the first and second rails is formed with an attached portion to which the attaching portion is attached, and a mounting-portion piercing opening through which the mounting portion passes; 
 the other of the first and second rails is formed with an engaged portion engageable with the engaging portion; 
 the movement permitting portion is formed between the attaching portion and the engaging portion on a body portion of the lock member; and 
 the movement restraining portion is formed at the mounting-portion piercing opening so that when the lock member and the rail attaching the lock member move relatively, the mounting portion comes into engagement to restrain the engaging portion from moving in a direction separating from the engaged portion. 
 
     
     
       6. The sliding device for the vehicle in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first rail is a lower rail fixed to a floor of the vehicle; 
 the second rail is an upper rail fixed to a sheet of the vehicle; and 
 the lock member is attached to the upper rail for locking the relative movement between the upper rail and the lower rail when moved upward. 
 
     
     
       7. The sliding device for the vehicle in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the movement permitting portion comprises a portion that is formed on the at least one of the lock member and the rail attaching the lock member and that is deformed to permit the relative movement between the lock member and the rail attaching the lock member when a frontal collision encountered with the lock member locking the relative movement between the first and second rails causes a large load in a vehicle forward direction to be inputted to the rail attaching the lock member. 
 
     
     
       8. The sliding device for the vehicle in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the movement restraining portion comprises a portion that is formed on the rail attaching the lock member to be engaged with the lock member and to restrict the lock member from moving in a direction that brings about a separation of the engaging portion from the engaged portion when the lock member and the rail attaching lock member moves relatively. 
 
     
     
       9. The sliding device for the vehicle in  claim 2 , wherein:
 the movement permitting portion comprises a portion that is formed on the attached portion to be deformed when the lock member and the rail attaching the lock member move relatively; and 
 the movement restraining portion comprises an oblique portion that is formed on the engaging-portion piercing opening to be engaged with the engaging portion of the lock member when the lock member and the rail attaching the lock member move relatively. 
 
     
     
       10. The sliding device for the vehicle in  claim 3 , wherein:
 the movement permitting portion comprises a portion that is formed on the attached portion to be deformed by the pin when the lock member and the rail attaching the lock member move relatively; and 
 the movement restraining portion comprises a narrowed portion of the mounting-portion piercing opening that is narrowed in width in a direction orthogonal to the rail axis direction so that the narrowed portion is engaged with the mounting portion of the lock member when the lock member and the rail attaching the lock member moves relatively. 
 
     
     
       11. The sliding device for the vehicle in  claim 4 , wherein:
 the movement restraining portion comprises an oblique portion that is formed on the engaging-portion piercing opening to be engaged with the engaging portion of the lock member when the lock member and the rail attaching the lock member move relatively. 
 
     
     
       12. The sliding device for the vehicle in  claim 5 , wherein:
 the movement restraining portion comprises a narrowed portion of the mounting-portion piercing opening that is narrowed in width in a direction orthogonal to the rail axis direction so that the narrowed portion is engaged with the mounting portion of the lock member when the lock member and the rail attaching the lock member moves relatively. 
 
     
     
       13. The sliding device for the vehicle in  claim 1 , wherein the second portion is deformed by the pin when the lock member and the rail attaching the lock member move relatively at a predetermined load.